


Falling Hard

by Rhysanoodle



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-06-28 15:24:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15709965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhysanoodle/pseuds/Rhysanoodle
Summary: It's Elain's first Starfall, and she's excited to spend it with her new family in Velaris. What could go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

Stars rained down around them, and while it was the most stunning sight Elain had ever seen, she couldn’t really appreciate it because of _her_.  


* * *

Earlier this evening, the entire Inner Circle had met up at the House of Wind to prepare for the festivities. Feyre had promised Elain that this was going to be the most magical night of her life, but still refused to tell her why that might be. Her sister had just looked at Rhys and grinned conspiratorially, and Elain knew she’d get no further by prying.

Everything had been going great. She’d helped Cassian and Az put out decorations, some long-held tradition where the Inner Circle always assisted in the preparations even with dozens of vendors hired to help the formal celebration in the House go off without a hitch.

One time, when Cassian had gone off to fetch another case of champagne, Az had even turned to Elain with streamers hanging off his head like a wig, and Elain had burst out laughing.

Az had a soft side that she’d been slowing unraveling lately. The usually stoic Shadowsinger had started opening up to her. It had all begun when he started helping her tend to her garden when he was on leave from his spying duties. He’d asked her about small, seemingly-insignificant questions like her favorite color and her favorite time of year, but she’d loved the fact that he was trying to get to know her just as…Elain — not this Cauldron-made seer that nobody seemed to know what to do with.

She’d begun asking him small questions about his preferences too, learning that his favorite type of music to see performed was anything with a long, winding melody — preferably performed on the pianoforte. And that his favorite color was, surprisingly, the soft orange of a sunset. 

And one day, when they’d been harvesting fresh ingredients for supper from the vegetable garden, he’d dug up a potato plant, grabbing a few spuds off of it and reburying the roots. As he made his way to the basket where they were collecting the ingredients, he let slip that one of his favorite dishes was rosemary potatoes and that Elain had made one of the best renditions he’d ever tasted.

She was sure he didn’t need his shadows whispering in his ear to know how flattered she was at the compliment, her cheeks blushing profusely as she stammered out a shy “Thank you.”

Lately her heart pounded anytime he was around, and she couldn’t help but crave his presence. She thought perhaps he felt the same as he always made an effort to seek her out whenever she felt lonely, but nothing had ever happened between them, so perhaps he just saw her as a friend.

These thoughts and many more had been flowing through her head as they continued laughing together while decorating. She might’ve stolen a bit of champagne prematurely while setting out glasses, and he was looking mighty fine in the suit he’d chosen for the occasion. She was almost tipsy enough to tell him so when a gorgeous female, with thick dark hair and a dress which left little about her generous curves to the imagination, had strutted up to the table, hugged Azriel like she hadn’t seen him in way too long, and pecked him on the cheek before dragging him away.

Elain had turned around and shakily finished pouring the last of the glasses as the celebration began, and more guests flooded in.

Now she sat with her legs hanging over a secluded balcony, another glass in hand, trying to watch the stars rain down as she spied him still on the dance floor, surrounded by this female who had her arms around both him and Mor and laughing merrily with the crowd around them.

Stupid Az. Stupid goddess of a female. Stupid _Elain_ for letting her feelings for him run so wild that she thought she’d ever have a shot in hell with him.

She drained the rest of her glass and laid back on the cold hard ground, closing her eyes and letting the imprints of the stars shoot across the back of her eyelids.

Seconds passed. Minutes. Maybe hours. Her head was spinning now, and she just wanted to forget all that she’d seen tonight when a quiet voice whispered from the hallway, “Elain?”

She jolted upright, the familiar way he said her name sending shivers down her spine. As she tried to stand, a pair of strong arms steadied her, and she tried but failed miserably to shake him off.

“Whoa, easy there. Are you okay? Seems like you might’ve had a bit too much to drink,” he chuckled as she whirled to face him. How could he be acting like everything was fine between them?

Oh, wait. She had to remind herself that since he didn’t return her feelings, he probably had no idea that anything even _was_ amiss.

But that didn’t stop her from blurting out, “Did you have fun with your girlfriend?” Her hand instantly flew to her mouth as she cursed the alcohol for freeing her tongue so much.

“Girlfriend?” He looked genuinely confused for a moment before laughing lightheartedly. Elain’s cheeks burned crimson.

“Oh you mean, _Rita_? Cauldron, no. You do know she runs a bar aimed to accommodate females looking for companionship with other females, right?” At the confused expression on her face, he added, “Hmm. I guess that’s not a widely-known fact. I haven’t been with Mor in months as I’ve…ahhh…been busy visiting the townhouse more often on my free nights, and she had a lot of gossip she wanted to catch up on.”

Oh gods. It had been completely innocent, and she’d blown it way out of proportion. She just wanted to curl up on her bed and hide.

“Wait, you weren’t…jealous, were you?” Curse the wisp of shadow which was now flitting away from his left ear. 

As Elain just stared at her feet, willing the embarrassment away, he murmured, “Elain, dear, you have nothing to worry about in that department.” She finally dared to look him in the eyes and found them soft and contemplative as he looked wistfully into her own.

He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, and continued, “I know I’m not the best at making my feelings obvious, but I’ve been spending so much time with you lately — always going out of my way to visit with you — that I thought maybe you’d figured it out by now.” He flashed her a sheepish grin. “I’ve had eyes only for you for months now.”

Oh.

And at that simple admission, Elain surprised even herself as she lifted herself up onto her toes and lightly brushed her lips against his. The static between them was palpable, as he returned the kiss, running his fingers through the loose curls falling around her shoulders and letting her wrap her own arms around his neck.

It felt so amazingly right that she was still in shock when he pulled away after a few moments and whispered in her ear, “As much as I’d love to stay in this cozy little alcove and kiss you silly, it’s your first Starfall. You deserve to experience every aspect of it.”

With that, her took her in his arms and shot off of the balcony, dropping them into the middle of the dance floor below.

She tried to take a step back, insisting that there was no way she could dance like this. She wasn’t used to drinking, and the light-headed feeling that came with it was still a little disorienting. He simply pulled her closer to him and murmured that she should follow his lead before wrapping one hand around her back, taking her hand in his other, and very slowly rocking them back and forth.

Elain wasn’t sure if you could really call it dancing as they were barely moving compared to the gyrating happening next to them courtesy of the copious amount of free booze and upbeat music, but she couldn’t care in the least.

After a few minutes of grinning at each other like idiots, she finally tipped her head back and truly watched the stars rocketing across the sky. They were absolutely breathtaking, but not as much as the small kiss he eventually planted in the hollow of her neck which lit her up from the inside out.

It took a huge amount of restraint to keep from tackling him right then and there on that dance floor and reenacting the dreams she’d been having of him for weeks now, but she settled for letting out a soft moan and reaching up to kiss him again, roughly this time, not giving a care in the world who saw them. He was hers, and she wanted to shout it from the balcony they’d recently vacated.

He held her all through the night, their dancing shifting to match the upbeat rhythms as Elain got used to the ecstasy of drinking and dancing and falling in love and then back to their original slow pace, him letting her rest her tired feet on his own as he led their dance through the wee hours of the morning, as the stars began to peter out and the sun began to peek over the horizon.

She never wanted Starfall to end. This was her new favorite holiday. This was a day truly worth living for. And this would be their anniversary, a celebration which would hold a special meaning just for them, every year for the rest of eternity — if Elain had any say in it.  



	2. Chapter 2

Tonight was the night.

It had only been a year since Elain’s first Starfall. A year since what she remembered as the most special day of her now-immortal life. She had shared the first meaningful kiss of her life with a male who saw every damn inch of her and accepted it all.

The night had quickly flip flopped between stomach churning jealousy into the sweetest bliss.

“Hold still,” Feyre chided as she struggled to apply stain to Elain’s lips. “You’re grinning.”

“Oh, she can’t help it,” Mor butted in. “It’s Elain’s favorite day of the year, is it not?”

Because not only would they be celebrating their anniversary, but it came fully furnished with a lavish party full of Elain and Azriel’s closest family and friends. Though they would always share this evening with the entirety of Velaris every year, eventually the two of them could let the rest fade to the background, the stars falling for them and only them as they danced the night away.

And the mere anticipation of the night before her had Elain giddy, about to jump out of her skin as she was forced to sit still while her sister dolled her up.

“What do you think the boys are doing?”

“Probably drowning in streamers. It will be a miracle if they manage to make the House of Wind look as magical as usual this year without our help,” Mor mused.

“Though I could grow used to this new tradition,” Feyre chimed in. “I believe we need a spa day every year.”

The three of them had visited a lavish bathhouse on the outskirts of the city this morning where they had been primped and pampered, courtesy of a High Lord who decided that his mate deserved a day off from her tireless jobs as High Lady and charitable art teacher.

Elain was enormously grateful that Feyre had insisted she and Mor tag along because the massage and—Cauldron help her—the facial were the most heavenly things she had ever experienced—outside of being cradled in Azriel’s arms.

Years worth of knotted muscles and sore backs from lugging pots around the gardens and bending to tend to her plants had apparently caught up with her. She was going to have to request some special attention from Azriel’s magnificent hands every once in awhile to keep the tension at bay.

“There. All finished.” Feyre pulled back from Elain, inspecting her handiwork.

“How did you do that?” Elain gaped, placing a shocked hand to her cheek as she stared past her sister and into the mirror, taking in her own appearance for the first time.

As one who rarely saw fit to wear much makeup on any given day, it was a shocking transformation to view herself this way. Eyes outlined in a smoky kohl which made the chestnut hue of them pop even more, her lips plump and glossy in a deep rose with her cheeks lightly brushed with the same tint.

Somehow whatever foundation Feyre had used had lit up her face as well, accentuating her cheekbones and even hiding the bags under her eyes from failing to sleep last night from all the excitement.

While Feyre had worked magic on Elain’s makeup, Mor had taken her long tresses and placed soft curls in them before pinning them so they cascaded over one shoulder, where they collided with her gown.

Elain had settled on a gown of the deepest cobalt, the neckline dipping dangerously low, the bodice clinging to her chest before flowing past her waist and grazing the floor.

“I’m an artist, you know.” Feyre shrugged. “And Mor’s been teaching me.” Her sister flashed the blonde beauty a wicked grin.

“You should’ve seen her when we began. There were days when I couldn’t leave the house without glamouring myself to cover up my clownlike appearance.” Despite the jest in her words, there was a sparkle in Mor’s eyes.

“Are you ready to go?” Feyre asked, as she turned to the mirror herself to double-check her own appearance before summoning her wings and reaching out for her sister’s hand. Elain nodded quickly before Feyre whisked them into the night, winnowing above the party at the House of Wind and gracefully descending until they were right in the heart of the brimming festivites.

Feyre grabbed Elain’s hand and pulled her to the drinks table, shoving a flute of champagne into Elain’s empty hand before the two of them began scouting the outcropping of the mountain where all the partygoers were mingling as they waited for the stars to grace them with their presence.

No sign of Azriel. Or Rhys. Or even Cassian. As her eyes scanned the crowd, the telltale gleam of talons off the apexes of Illyrian wings—the way the females usually spotted them above the din of a crowd—was nowhere to be seen.

As Elain turned to Feyre, she noticed her sister’s eyes glaze over a bit, as if she wasn’t truly focused on the scene before them before she returned her attention to Elain.

“Rhys says Cassian stubbed his toe and dropped a cask of wine which exploded on them all. The three of them left to wash up and change into fresh clothes. Magic can only will away so much of that sticky, unclean feeling.”

“Typical.” Elain rolled her eyes. She had come to view Cassian as somewhat of a brother lately, even if he had made no progress in actually _becoming_ a brother by mating or marrying her sister in the past year. His strength was rivaled by none, but sometimes his coordination left something to be desired.

Flying solo for the foreseeable future, she wound through the dance floor, hand in hand with her sister, resolving to enjoy her evening regardless. Dancing in the throng, with a glass of sparkling wine in her hand, would help relieve her impatience as she waited for her love to arrive.

Perhaps an hour later, Elain was about to make a remark about how much primping Feyre’s mate needed, likely him holding up the entire party when she felt a familiar set of strong arms wrap around her waist, calloused hands grabbing her own as his chin nuzzled into his neck.

“Well, you don’t reek of alcohol, so I hope freshening up was worth it.” Elain grinned as she ribbed at Azriel, the banter one of her favorite parts of their relationship. In truth he smelled godly, mist and cedar embracing her every sense as she breathed him in.

“I couldn’t spend our anniversary putting you through that. I think you’ll find the delay worth it.”

“I’m never going to let Cassian live this down though, you know.”

“Likewise, my flower,” Az breathed in her ear.

Elain closed her eyes to block out the crowd surrounding her, allowing her boyfriend to pull him closer to his chest as they rocked back and forth on the dance floor, melting together as they ignored the upbeat pace of the music, of the world around them.

Until familiar murmurs of awe trickled their way into her ears and she opened her eyes to find the heavens above them opening up and the mesmerizing stars beginning their journey across the sky.

Now— _now_ —it felt like the night had come together. She had everything she needed, and beginning the night in his arms as opposed to silently pining over him from across the party was infinitely more enjoyable.

They froze there, hypnotized by the glimmering artwork up above them with the masses for awhile before Az finally twirled her around to face him.

Mother above. His wind-mussed hair still somehow fit perfectly with his tailored black suit and navy shirt. And the accessory which put his blindingly good looks over the top was the grin gracing his lips—a smile reserved just for Elain which she would never tire of in all her immortal existence.

“You’re stunning, my love. Though that’s nothing new.” His gaze was roving over her face and down to the gown which matched so beautifully with the glimmering stones atop the back of his hands. She could feel the slight shift in him, the desire which overcame him, which mirrored her own, as she drank him in.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Understatement of the century.

“What do you say we get away for a bit? I selfishly don’t want to share you with all these strangers.”

“Yes please,” Elain breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck and not flinching a bit as she felt the familiar veil of shadows pull them under … And spit them out on a balcony overlooking the party below.

The music had faded, and as Elain turned to look back at the stars, she noticed that not only had they moved out of the thrall, but it was like they had entered another world. Everywhere she looked, there were blossoming moonflowers. All along the railing of the balcony, in vine-like arrangements climbing up the walls, scattered across the red rock floor below her, and even bordering the dance floor.

Those hadn’t been there before …

“Cassian didn’t really trip, did he?” She raised an eyebrow at Az.

“It would seem not.”

“And Rhys didn’t just randomly decide to pamper Feyre today, did he?”

“I might have encouraged him.”

“And Feyre didn’t just want to drag me onto the dance floor to pass the time, did she?”

“Not a chance.” He was beaming now.

“But how?” It was as if she had stepped into a fairytale, an impossible flower blooming all around her as the stars fell above her and the love of her life glowed in front of her.

“Don’t question it, love.” And before she could demand he explain further, he had dropped to one knee, wings splayed behind him, rustling the flowers strewn around them.

“Elain Archeron, you utterly, impossibly, and irrevocably unravel me. Since the moment you entered my life, I thought I had come unhinged, but that was only because I had no idea what it felt like to be complete. I had been trudging through my life blinded, unknowingly missing my other half, my flower, the light which creates my shadows. This past year, I’ve finally felt the effects of being whole. I’m not sure how I suffered for centuries without you. And I never want to know what it would be like not to spend the rest of my future with you.”

Elain could feel the tears slipping down her cheeks, dripping off the ridiculous grin she knew she had, even as her hands flew to her mouth.

“So I’m not going to risk it. El, I love you with every fiber of my being, every fleeting shadow, every beat of my heart. Will you marry me?” His hands were shaking as he pulled the ring out of his jacket pocket.

The moonstone center gleamed beneath the starlit sky, surrounded by a crown of sapphires. The perfect marriage of their personalities. To celebrate what would be a perfect marriage between the two of them.

“Yes … Cauldron, _yes_ , Azriel,” she managed to get out between sobs as he slipped the flawlessly-fitting ring onto her delicate finger.

“Then I’m truly the luckiest male in all of Prythian.” He pulled her in for a deep kiss which left Elain breathless and reeling the moment he pulled away. _More_. She needed more of him, willing this high coursing through her never to wear off.

He guided her to a settee which Elain hadn’t noticed behind them, offering an unobstructed view of the stars while allowing him to cuddle her in his arms as the two of them giggled like fools, Azriel just as giddy as Elain, it seemed. 

His hands were still shaking, as if he still couldn’t believe that he had made it to this moment and Elain had chosen _him_. As if there were any other choice.

“It’s real,” she murmured, plucking some flowers off the table in front of them. She fidgeted with them, instinctively weaving the stems together and forming a short chain, her eyes constantly catching on the starlight glinting off her ring as her fingers moved though.

It didn’t take long before she had woven enough flowers into her strand and she looped it back on itself, joining the ends together.

She placed the flower crown on her fiance’s head, as he stared back at her dumbstruck, but calming, his heartbeat beginning to slow as he had watched her work.

“I didn’t bring anything pretty with me to gift you, but I think this looks mighty handsome on you.”

Indeed, Azriel had never looked sexier than he did now—her fiancé—with a never-fading smile and delicate white flowers crowning his raven-black hair.

“Now everyone will know you’re mine too.”

“I fear this won’t survive as long as your ring shall.”

“Then I’ll just have to keep making you new ones. Hmm.” She placed a finger to her lips. “A different color every day would look lovely on you.”

“For you, anything,” he murmured as he leaned in to place a kiss on her her temple.

“Likewise.”

The smiles never left either of their faces for the rest of the evening, as they snuggled on the couch watching the stars, as their friends toasted them, as they danced once again until the sun rose. 

Everything was perfect. Starfall truly was the most magical holiday in the entire universe.

**Author's Note:**

> All characters are the property of Sarah J. Maas


End file.
